Clam shell bucket



Jam 14, 1936.

.F. H, WEEKS ET AL CLAM SHELL BUCKET Filed May 28, 1932 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 HJ/XENTO s 4 0Q 45% ATTOR EY (Ian. 14, 1936. F. H. WEEKS ET AL GLAM SHELL BUCKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Fild May 28, 1932 .INVENTORS 2 6: ATTORNEY v Patented Jan. 14, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CLAM SHELL BUCKET Francis H. Weeks and Richard B. Weeks, New York, N. Y.

Application May 28, 1932, Serial No. 614,104

4 Claims.

The invention will be fully understood from the following description read in conjunction With the drawings, in which,

Fig. 1 is a side view of a preferred embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a view through the construction shown in Fig. l, on the plane indicated by I-I.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through part of the construction shown in Fig. 2, on the plane indicated by IIII. I

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of part of the construction shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 5 is a side elevation through a further embodiment of our invention.

Referring specifically to Figs. 1 to 4 inc. the bucket which we have invented comprises the bowl I, composed of the blades 2 and 3. The blades are pivotally connected at the corners to the four connecting rods 4, 5, 6 and 1, which rods are pivotally connected adjacent their upper ends to the upper center or head-casting 10. The holding cable II is secured to the head-casting, whereas the lifting and closing line I2 runs through a guide in the head-casting to the lower center I3. The lifting and closing line runs over a series of pulleys I4 in the head-casting and over the power wheels l5 and IS in the lower center. The lower center is pivotally connected by means of the shaft to the blade arms 2|, 22, 23 and 24. The construction shown is of usual design and so assembled that when the holding cable II is held fast and the lifting and closing cable I2 released, the lower center i3 drops downwardly with respect to the upper center ii) thereby swinging the blades 2 and 3 to the open position. Conversely, when the lifting and closing line I 2 is drawn upwardly, the blades close and thereafter the bucket and contents is lifted.

It has heretofore been the practice to make the blades relatively heavy, as they have been found to otherwise fail to hold their shape, and for this reason the weight of the bucket is often greater than the weight of the material carried. This has the effect of imposing upon the lifting machinery two or three times as much work as is required to actually transfer the material. Where attempts have been made to lighten the bucket, it has been found that the bucket will not hold its shape, the blades would not come together in perfect alignment, and will not retain the material. We have, however, devised a type of bucket which can be fabricated in relatively large sizes without undue weight and which nevertheless functions perfectly in service. This development has enabled us to substantially increase the capacity of the buckets used, and to increase the useful work performed by hoisting machinery of any specified capacity.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 4, this improvement will 5 be seen to comprise the bracing members 3|] and 3! extending diagonally from the bottom 29 of the blade 3 adjacent the lower digging edge 32 to the sides 33 and 34 of the blade adjacent the side digging edges 33' and 34. While a single brace of the type described may be used, two are preferablyv incorporated. Preferably, the braces 35! an 3% are formed each with a cutting edge presented toward the opposed blade member 2. For this reason the braces may be conveniently formed of half oval stock as indicated in the vertical section appearing in Fig. 3. The opposed blade carries corresponding bracing members, of which 3515 shown in outline in Fig. 1 and No. 36 appears in Fig. 3. By virtue of this construction, the side and bottom digging edges of any blade retain their respective positions without sagging, bulging or other distortion, and register with the digging edges of the opposed blade. This construction is particularly adapted to buckets having a cubic capacity in excess of 40 cubic feet, which it has heretofore'been necessary to makeof excessive weight in order to have the blades register properly. The fact that each of the braces mentioned carries a cutting edge pre- 39 sented toward the opposed blade renders it possible to close the blades upon the material to be transferred without difiiculty, whereas, without the said cutting edges the braces would retard or prevent the proper closing of the blades.

We preferably employ in addition diagonal bracing members, such as 43 and 4|, extending from adjacent the upper edge 42 of the back 43 to adjacent the upper edges 44 and 45 of the sides 34- and 33. While one such brace may be used, two are preferably incorporated. The blade 2 carries corresponding diagonal bracing members extending from the back to the sides, of which No. 60 appears in outline in Fig. l, and No. 62 in the vertical section shown in Fig. 3.

A further feature of our invention comprises the bar secured to the upper surface of the bottom 29 of the blade 3 adjacent the bottom digging edge 32. The bar 56 is preferably substantially parallel to the digging edge 32 and extends a short distance beyond the same. The bar may be riveted, welded or similarly secured to the bottom 29 of the blade 3. The opposed blade 2 carries a bar 5! secured to the lower surface of the bottom 52 adjacent the bottom digging edge 53. The bar 5| is preferably substantially parallel to the digging edge 53 and extends a short distance there beyond. When the blades are closed, the bars 50 and 5| operate to form a seal or tight joint along the bottom digging edge to prevent leakage of materials from the bucket.

Such buckets are preferably provided with a tag-line to prevent the bucket from twisting as it is raised or lowered, which tag-line may be secured to the eye bolt 63 carried by the back 43 of the blade 3. In lowering the bucket into the hold of a ship through the hatches, it is frequently necessary to turn the bucket which is ordinarily done manually. This may for example be necessary to avoid striking the edge of the hatch. This manual operation may be obviated by changing the direction of pull of the tag-line. and for this purpose we have provided the projections 64 and 65 carried by the back 43 of the blade 3 and extending inwardly with respect thereto. Where it is desired to change the direction of pull of the tag-line, it may be easily slipped over the projection 64 for example, thereby making the corner 66 of the blade 3 face the tag-line; or conversely, the tag-line may be easily slipped over the projection 65, thereby making the corner 6? of the. blade 3 face the tagline. The form of the projections may be varied and they may project either internally or externally. Where they project externally, they may for example take the form of hooks. The form must in any case be adapted to hold the bight of the tag-line when placed in engagement therewith.

Where the bucket is employed to transfer materials from an ocean freight carrier to a barge or lighter, the bucket is preferably carried by a marine crane. In this case the bucket may be suspended from the boom 19 pivotally connected at H to the turn table 12 carried by the barge 13. Suitable machinery for changing the angle of the boom and for manipulating the bucket is carried in the house 14 and operated from the cab 15. When the bucket is in the elevated position 80, appearing in Fig. 5, it may be passed over the side of a relatively high vessel, and in this case the bucket will be held in proper alignment by means of the tag-line 8| running over the pulleys 82 and 83. A suitable counter weight 86 or similar device is provided to maintain an even pull on the tag-line 8|. When, however, it becomes necessary to drop the bucket I into a low vessel, such as a barge or lighter, the direction of the tag-line is nearly vertical. In this case the horizontal component of the pull becomes negligible and the bucket will frequently twist. This interferes with dropping the bucket into the precise position desired, and may cause the bucket to strike and damage the hatches of the barge. We have found, however, that this difiiculty is off set by the provision of a block 84 connected to the lower end 85 of the boom 10. Whenever the bucket I is lowered in order to permit it to discharge the barge 86, the bight of the tagline is put in the block 84, whereupon the horizontal component of pull becomes again the major component and the bucket is held in proper alignment for use in discharging the barge 86.

The block 84 is preferably a snatch block to facilitate introduction of the tag-line.

The foregoing description is for purposes of illustration and not of limitation, and it is therefore our intention that the invention be limited by the appended claims only, in which we have endeavored to claim broadly all inherent novelty.

We claim:

1. A clam shell bucket, comprising two opposed blades, each of said blades including a back portion, sides and a bottom, said sides and bottom terminating in digging edges, adapted to register with the digging edges of the opposed blade, and each of said blades including a diagonal bracing member extending from adjacent the bottom digging edge of the said blade to the side of said blade.

2. A clam shell bucket, comprising two opposed blades, each of said blades including a back portion, sides and a bottom, said sides and bottom terminating in digging edges, adapted to register with the digging edges of the opposed blade, and each of said blades including a diagonal bracing member extending from adjacent the bottom digging edge of said blade to the side of said blade, said bracing member being formed with a cutting edge presented toward the opposed blade.

3. A clam shell bucket, comprising two opposed blades, each of said blades including a back portion, sides and a bottom, said sides and bottom terminating in digging edges, adapted to register with the digging edges of the opposed blade, each of said blades including a diagonal bracing member extending from adjacent the bottom digging edge to the side of the said blade, one of said blades comprising in addition a bar secured to the upper surface of the bottom digging edge and extending beyond the said digging edge, and the other of said blades comprising a bar secured to the lower surface of the digging edge thereof and extending beyond the same.

4. A clam shell bucket, comprising two opposed blades, each of said blades including a back portion, sides and a bottom, a tag-line connected adjacent the center of the upper edge of the back on one of said blades, and projections adapted to engage the bight of said tag-line between i the point of connection of said tag-line and the sides of said blade, whereby the direction of pull of said tag-line may be varied as desired.

FRANCIS H. WEEKS. RICHARD B. WEEKS. 

